Starmer defends Sue Gray after reports of No 10 rifts

Sir Keir Starmer said “most” of the stories about his chief of staff Sue Gray are “wildly wrong”, after reports of rifts in No 10.

Gray has been the subject of numerous newspaper stories since Labour entered government, including claims she has a fractious relationship with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and strategy chief Morgan McSweeney.

Case is the UK’s most senior civil servant. McSweeney masterminded Labour’s successful general election campaign.

A senior government source has told the BBC the claims are “completely and utterly overblown” and “Sue is working with teams throughout civil service and acts with nothing but professionalism”.

Another within government said of Gray’s leadership: “However bad you think it is, it’s worse.”

When asked by reporters if Gray had “become the story”, Sir Keir responded: “I’m not going to talk behind her back and I’m not going to talk about individual members of staff, whether it’s Sue Gray or any other member of staff.

“All I can say about the stories is most of them are wildly wrong.”

Gray controversially joined Labour as the leader’s top aide last year after more than 30 years in the civil service.

She was thrust into the public spotlight in 2022 when she led an investigation into gatherings in government offices during the Covid-19 pandemic, while Boris Johnson was prime minister.

Her report found staff attended events on multiple occasions while the rest of the UK was in lockdown, and partly blamed the leadership in Downing Street.

Johnson faced calls to resign following the report, which contributed to the Tory disquiet that led to his downfall as prime minister.

Some Tories had expressed anger that Gray was offered a job as the Labour leader's chief of staff, arguing it undermined the impartiality of her inquiry into lockdown-breaking parties.